chelsea wrote:
She advised me if I wanted to stay longer than the normal 30 days I get on arrival, to get a 60 day tourist visa(available at a cost of 45 Aussie Dollars before I leave), and then if I wanted to stay another 30 days to do 2 x 15 day visa runs after that.
Then I would have to go home for 3 months and then I can do the same again. That way you still get your 90days every 6 months and really the only extra cost is the visa that is granted before I leave.
Not sure about any other country regarding 60 day visa before you leave, but may be an idea to look into.
This terminology stuff gets confusing. You're talking about a border run, as you're not going to a Thai Embassy/Consulate to get another visa. But if you had a single entry (60 days) Visit/Tourist Visa, you could just get it extended in HH for 1900 baht. The extension used to be for 30 days, but I don't know if that's been reduced to 15. Alternatively, you could get a double entry visa before you come, then after 60 days do a border run and get another 60 days. Then, if you really wanted, you could do your border runs for up to another 90 days.
When I first came to Thailand I had a triple entry tourist visa - with a 30-day extension and a couple of border runs that saw me through 9 months. You won't get a triple entry visa in any Thai embassy bordering Thailand, but I don't see why you still couldn't get one from your home country.
I'm not that familiar with them either but think the best option is the following:
Get double-entry tourist visa before coming and stay 60 days
Then get the 30 day extension at immigration
Then do visa run and activate the next 60 days
Then get another 30 day extension at immigration
It's after that, or people without the tourist visa, doing a visa run and coming in via a land border on visa exempt status that now only get 15 days instead of 30 before. If they fly in from non-adjoining country they get 30 days, not 15.
SJ
Last edited by Super Joe on Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
chelsea wrote:Lomuamart, on Thursday I was speaking to a girl that does the Visa Runs on the 3rd floor of the Hua Hin Shopping Mall and I ask her about it.
She advised me if I wanted to stay longer than the normal 30 days I get on arrival, to get a 60 day tourist visa(available at a cost of 45 Aussie Dollars before I leave), and then if I wanted to stay another 30 days to do 2 x 15 day visa runs after that.
Then I would have to go home for 3 months and then I can do the same again. That way you still get your 90days every 6 months and really the only extra cost is the visa that is granted before I leave.
Not sure about any other country regarding 60 day visa before you leave, but may be an idea to look into.
You used to be able to extend the tourist visa by another 30 days - has that been changed? I stayed in Thailand a long time by getting double entry tourist visas and extending by 30 days at the end of each 60 days, thus giving 6 months with only one exit necessary during that time. I don't recall reading that had changed but I may well have missed it.
It's not official but translations so far indicate the the 90 day rule on visa exempt entries has now been scrapped. Mind you even if true it won't be much fun doing runs every 15 days.
I think this new rule change is ridiculous and i think Thailand (Immigration) needs to stop changing the rules without proper notice every 6 months or 1 year.
Name Taken wrote:I think this new rule change is ridiculous and i think Thailand (Immigration) needs to stop changing the rules without proper notice every 6 months or 1 year.
There are a lot that would agree with you but the likelihood of it happening is around zero squared.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Tourist visas can be extended for 30 days in HH or at any internal Imm office. Cost 1,900 Baht. There was nothing in the new regulations that changed this.
I heard that Pattaya Imm were wanting to see some form of ticket out of Thailand within the 30 day extension period. If you didn't have one, they'd only give 15 days. That was some time ago and I don't know if they're still doing it. I'm sure it was just Pattaya. Nowhere else was doing the same.
As SJ says, I'm also sure that the 90 days in 6 months rule for visa exempt stamps was scrapped when they changed land entries to 15 days.
Took my mother in law, 3 weeks ago to HH immigration, she had 30 day tourist visa, asked for the 30 days extension, paid 1,900 baht got 7 days only, heard of a few tourist wanting to stay longer and only received 7 days.
Considering the hassle Thais have getting visas for many countries I can't really complain about having to pop out for a renewal every year IMO .I do however find the 15 day thing more than a little bad timing .If I were on a tourist visa I would use an agent to get 30 days .Bet those guys are getting busy right now .
little imp wrote:Took my mother in law, 3 weeks ago to HH immigration, she had 30 day tourist visa, asked for the 30 days extension, paid 1,900 baht got 7 days only, heard of a few tourist wanting to stay longer and only received 7 days.
If she was given 30 days on arrival, she probably didn't have a visa (from a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad) and wouldn't qualify for a 30-day extension.
little imp wrote:Took my mother in law, 3 weeks ago to HH immigration, she had 30 day tourist visa, asked for the 30 days extension, paid 1,900 baht got 7 days only, heard of a few tourist wanting to stay longer and only received 7 days.
If she was given 30 days on arrival, she probably didn't have a visa (from a Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad) and wouldn't qualify for a 30-day extension.
Terminology again!
Correct dm. Tourist visas will give you 60 days when you arrive and can be extended for another 30.
The visa exempt stamp is valid for 30 or 15 days and in certain circumstances can be extended for another 7 days. Normally, the applicant will have to show a ticket for an outbound journey from Thailand within those 7 days. That extension is by no means automatic. If the Imm officer likes you then you've got a good chance of getting it.
However, it depends on little imp's mother's nationality. Some can get a visa on arrival which is good for 30 days. I'm not really sure how they work, but you get it at the airport. That is, in fact, a proper visa but obtained here. It's probably quite likely that it could be extended for 7 days.
Little Imp, what is your mother's nationality?
crazy88 wrote:Considering the hassle Thais have getting visas for many countries I can't really complain about having to pop out for a renewal every year IMO .
I don't think they have many hassles if they live, work and pay UK (or whatever country they're in) taxes (unless of course they are corrupt politicians then they can buy what the hell they like).
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
Thais have massive hassles getting visas for most other countries.
Dwarf's our visa problems here imo, farangs here, not talking about you Buksi, become bitter and twisted about all things Thai and whinge about the most minor of issues imo. It goes as far as those that did not have a problem in immigration resort to complaining about the road leading to it, wtf??
Most have problems with visas here because they can not meet the qualifications required.
You have mistaken my point SJ - many of the Thais I know in the UK get something called "indefinite remain to leave" after working and paying tax for two years. This is equivalent to residency.
All we get after doing the same for over ten years here is the same bullshit treatment - so tell me now which is easier.
Civilized countries respect you if you respect their ways and pay tax, the longer you stay the easier it gets, this country does not fall into that bracket.
Last edited by buksida on Sun Dec 14, 2008 7:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
